Sichuan Yunnan Tour: SYK03 Gongga Ice Glacier, Mugecuo lake,Panda, Sanxindui,Lijiang, Dali, Kunming 13 days Tour

Visit The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in the morning. It is located in the northern suburb of Chengdu on Futou Hill about 10 km from downtown Chengdu. Giant pandas live in large naturalistic habitats, which help the visitor to understand how these animals live in the wild. The Research Base is one of the important centers in China for the captive conservation of giant pandas. After lunch, we drive 40km to visit Sanxindui Museum, it is situated in the northeastern part of the state-protected Sanxindui ruin by the bank of the Yazi Rive. Two large sacrificial pits were found in 1986 boast the most important archaeological finds on the Sanxindui Ruins for the past half century. The exposure of a large number of spectacular relics created a great sensation, making the Sanxindui site well known to the world.

Drive along the express way for 140 km to Ya’an, then drive for 210 km, passing Tiaquan, Erlang Moountain, to Hailuogou (Moxi County in the foot of Mt. Mingya Gonggar). Stay at base No.2. Take a bath in the hot spring. The Hailuogou Valley that lies at the foot of Gongga Mountain is world-famous for the modern glacier in low altitude (the glaciers in the world mostly lay in the region of high altitude). The sparkling modern glacier rushes down from the high and steep valley, spraying millions of water blooms, changing the quite valley into a pure water palace. Ice holes and ice Bridge make people feel like entering into a Crystal Palace.

Drive to No.3 Base Camp, walk through the virgin forest, get to the Gongga Glacier. Then drive from Luding to Kangding, You will arrive at Kangding – the capital city of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the afternoon. Upon arrive visit Anjue monastery, experience the mysterious Tibetan Buddhism. After dinner, enjoy the hot spring at Erdaoqiao.

The natural scenery region of Mugecuo (also means Wildman Sea in Tibetan), 28km from Kangding City. Overall scenery region consists of Azalea Gorge, Seven color Sea, Fragrant Grass Lawn, Medical Boiling Spring Pool, Wild man Sea, Red sea Grassland, with a place of famous scenery region taking snow mountains, grassland, hot spring ,flying waterfall , high mountain lakes, Tibet customs as one organic whole. It is a biggest one on high mountain in west-Sichuan, with the area of 3.6sq.km and the deep most of 70m, which is situated on the mountain of 3780m. On the west lakeshore there is a lot of jungle of Azalea bushes and on hillside of the east lakeshore, there are bushes & grassy marshland. Many kinds of flowers are in bloom and dark blue in the water of lake during Spring and Summer; the forest on larger &larger turns color and ripples and sparkles on the surface of lake in the season of Autumn; the freezing of lake with ice with the thickness of 1m in the season of severe Winter.

Back to Chengdu, visit Mt. Mengding en route. Mt. Mengding is Sacred Mountain of Tea Culture, it is the first mountain en route from the Chengdu Plain to the western Sichuan highland and also the first stopover to ascend the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from the Sichuan Basin. The mountain has long been known as the ”Home of Divine Tea” as it abounds in famous tea. A legend has it that Wu Lizhen, initial tea grower of the western Han Dynasty grew tea in the mountain, leaving the earliest record of tea growing in history. Mengding tea was always used as tribute to send to the imperial courts every. The Mt. Mengding has always been a brilliant shining pearl along the ancient southern Silk Road.

You’ll begin your journey to impressive Lijiang. Upon arrival at Lijiang Airport; your local guide will meet you. And then you will be transferred to your hotel. Then walk around in Lijiang Old Town.

Sightseeing: the First Bend of the Yangtze River, Shigu Town, Tiger Leaping Gorge,. From Lijiang, you’ll drive about 60KM to the First Bend on the Yangtze River with imposing gorge scenery, and the Iron Chain Bridge in the Stone Drum town. The town of Stone Drum got its name from a large, cylindrical, marble tablet shaped like a drum. The scenery is magnificent as the road running through the Lijiang valley which is filled with wheat fields and drying haystacks. Continue the driving 40KM more to visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world. With 34 rapids of the Yangtze River, it is called the Jinsha in this area because you can find gold in the river. Afternoon, you will drive back to Lijiang.

Visit Ganhaizi Meadow, Baishui(White Water) River; take the chairlift to Yak Meadow(3700M) in the Yulong Snow Mountain —Jade Dragon Snow Mountain stretches a length of 35 kilometers (22 miles) and a width of 20 kilometers (13 miles). Looking from Lijiang Old Town in the south which is 15 kilometers (nine miles) away, the snow-covered and fog-enlaced mountain resembles a jade dragon lying in the clouds, hence, the name Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The highest peak named Fan Peak (Shanzidou in Chinese) which is about 5596 meters above sea level. There are three cable cars in the mountain, the fist to the Glacier Park(4500M),the second to Spruce Meadow(3200M),the third to Yak Meadow(3700M). In the afternoon, you’ll stroll through Baisha Village, which is an enchanting traditional Yunnan village. Visit the Baisha Mural about 600 years old, which is one part of the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997. After dinner, Enjoy the Naxi Orchestral and Show in Dongba Palace.

After breakfast, travel (200 km – 4 hrs) south on the old road to the ancient city of Dali, Dali, a historically and culturally famous city of China, is renowned for her historical interest. If this day happens to fall on a Monday you will call in at Shaping for a visit to the colorful Bai market. In Dali you will visit the Three-pagoda in Chongshen Temple, which is a typical historical symbol of Yunnan. It is also one of the oldest sublime architecture in South China. At last, you will walk around the Old Dali Town, which is located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain.

Travel in the Erhai Lake by boat and visit Jinsuo Island. After landing, you will head for Xizhou Town to fully appreciate Bai-style architecture, taste their fragrant three-course tea and explore their distinctive culture. Erhai Lake is the largest highland lake next to Dianchi and one of the seven biggest fresh water lakes in China. It means, ’sea shaped like an ear’, in Chinese. Implying that the lake is ear shaped and as large as a sea, hence it was so named. The lake covers an area of 250 square kilometers and is located about two kilometers east of Dali. It is like a crescent lying between Cangshan and Dali city as seen from Cangshan Mount. At last, you will visit Zhoucheng Town, and Bai people’s Tie-Dyed Cloth Work Shop.

Drive 86 km to the Stone Forest. There is a local saying: ’It is a waste of time not to visit the Stone Forest while visiting Kunming’, which vividly expresses the deep love of the local people toward this world wonder. The quintessential karst landscape makes every tourist lost in wonder. After lunch drive back Kunming to visit the landmark of Kunming-the Golden Horse and Phoenix Archway, which is located at the corner of Sanshi Road and Jinbi Road. And then, you will take a leisurely stroll along the Green Lake, a charming area of teahouses and small boutiques selling handicrafts and beautiful local paintings.

In the morning you will be transferred to Kunming International Airport to Beijing.